This invention relates to respiratory exercise devices and, more particularly, to breathing exercise devices which promote proper inhalation and exhalation resistance by the user.
Respiratory exercisers, in general, are designed for purposes including the assistance of patients with lung problems due to chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) or postoperative loss of spontaneous deep breaths. The types of devices vary--one type may provide inhalation resistance while a second type may provide exhalation resistance. The devices are designed so that resistance can be varied to adjust for the changing strength or weakness of the user.
Until now, the devices have proven expensive to manufacture, awkward to use, large and bulky, difficult to clean and disinfect, or incapable of independently varying exhalation resistance from inhalation resistance. A so-called portable respiratory exerciser which provides both inhalation and exhalation resistance is described in U.S. Pat. No. 4,221,381. In the device according to that patent, a single adjustment is provided to vary a common opening which controls both inhalation and exhalation resistance.
It is desirable that a respiratory exerciser be designed with the ability to vary exhalation resistance independently from inhalation resistance. If the device is incapable of independent regulation, a user will adjust the respiratory exerciser to his particular weakness. For example, if the user's exhalation ability is greater than the user's inhalation ability, the device will be adjusted to strengthen inhalation and the user's exhalation strength will not increase.
It is an object of the present invention to provide a respiratory exerciser which is capable of varying exhalation resistance independently from inhalation resistance.
It is another object of the present invention to provide a respiratory exerciser which is inexpensive to manufacture.
It is another object of the present invention to provide a respiratory exerciser which is small and portable.
It is still another object of the present invention to provide a respiratory exerciser which is easy to clean and disinfect.